New Zealand's cocktail team, comprising Guy Jacobson and Gian Jesus, both of Wellington, and Barney Toy, of Auckland, came second at the final of the 42 Below Cocktail World Cup 2012.
The international cocktail competition, which has based itself in Queenstown since it began eight years ago, finished for another year at the Auckland final on Friday night, watched by guests dressed in multicoloured lab coats and black-rimmed glasses.
Earlier challenges had been held in Queenstown locations before the 21 international bar tenders and their support crew flew to Auckland last Thursday.
In keeping with the "lab experiment" theme, an unused hangar at an Auckland location was transformed into a laboratory and the guests were served cocktails in beakers.
Teams from Italy, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand, a wild card team and a "startenders" team made up of previous competition finalists each had seven minutes to create their signature cocktail and impress the crowd and the judges.
Each performance was different, from hoedowns to Frankenstein and Incredible Hulk-inspired routines to a classroom laboratory.
Team USA had led the points table all week and their Incredible Hulk performance was the final stamp on the competition, earning them the international title.
One of the four judges, John Lermayer, recognised the team for its signature drink, performance and teamwork.
"They are three very different individuals but they had a lot of national pride.
They managed to take three different styles and morph them together. They were the tightest team of the week and it stood out."
The team met at the airport before arriving in New Zealand. Beckaly Franks was the first female bartender in the competition's history to be in the winning team.
Ms Franks said she did not normally think women should be "isolated out, but it really feels good to bridge the gap".
Fellow team member Steve Schneider said it was one thing to win, but another just to be at the competition.
"Getting the chance to meet other bartenders from around the world and of this calibre is an amazing opportunity. I've learned so many new bartending methods and made friends for life."
Despite the competition having been created by a New Zealand vodka company and using Queenstown as a base, it has never been won by a New Zealand team.
Former New Zealand bartender and competition judge Jacob Briars said early last week this year's team was one of the most talented New Zealand teams in the competition's history.
